NOW OPEN: RIVER ISLAND MEGA FASHION HALL

by Aileen Belmonte
If you haven't already heard of River Island, then it's time to learn about one of the coolest fashion brands to recently grace our country. Based in London, River Island focuses on trendy, street style-worthy apparel, not far from favorites like Topshop and Dorothy Perkins.
Perhaps you've visited their branches in SM Aura and Glorietta, but now they've put up their third branch in none other than the much hyped MEGA FASHION HALL! By golly, Megamall's newest wing is indeed a grand place to showcase the Philippines' booming love for fashion and styling. This new RI branch is definitely exciting news for us!

If you still weren't sold with my verbal praise (and all those shoes and accessories in the picture above), then I'd be glad to show you what's in store for us this season with River Island's newest branch. I visited the store's pre-opening display, and I was not disappointed at all. It definitely catered to my personal style with its mix of trendy and classic pieces, not scrimping on colors and textures. Let's look around shall we?

Here's their more urban selection, with graphic tees, leather skirts, and more neutral palettes. I'm obviously eyeing something here. *Sigh* I'm such a big sucker for different textures, and leather is one that never fails me.

Torn between two leathers...♩.♫♪.♫♩♩...Care to guess which one I chose?

Here are samples of the different styles you'll find in the store: Some party dresses, some classic blazers, some feminine pieces and some urban and casual apparel. There's definitely an interesting play of textures and patterns on display. Isn't that blazer a fun variant of the houndstooth trend? And how cool is that neon pink dress in neoprene?!

And of course there's denim! There are so many jeans to choose from! You're bound to find the cut you're looking for. Add one of their unique white tops to amp up a classic styling technique.

Oh, and boys, don't worry! They have a lot of nice stuff in their menswear section too! No need for the "father/brother/boyfriend couch" in here. You'll probably be busy looking around their stuff as well.

Those sweaters are pretty cool, yes?

Umm, posing with my friend here. Sorry.

I guess you know which skirt I chose then? :p

Might just come back for this hat. It kinda went well with my dress, dontcha' think?
And for our favorite part, ladies...SHOES!

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she will conquer the world!" Thanks for the tip, guys! This isn't even half of their shoe collection!

And finally after all the strolling and shopping, I added a pair of flats to my bag. Which of the three is your favorite?

I went home with a khaki leather skirt, and a new pair of loafers. Can you imagine them already, coming together in one street-savvy OOTD? I definitely can. In fact, there are a whole lot of other great OOTD's you can conjure up with just one visit to River Island Mega Fashion Hall! But don't take my word for it, go go go and see for yourself :)
Ehem, ehem...speaking of OOTD's, what if I told you that you can get the chance to win your very own River Island outfit? Yes, you read that right! The details will be up on my instagram account (@aileenclarisse), so do stay tuned as I'll be sharing it real soon!
Now that's all for my River Island Mega Fashion Hall preview. I hope you'll discover your love for the brand like I did! See you soon!

Obligatory peace sign!
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Photos taken by Irvinne Redor and myself